


Milady

by supersapphics



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: F/F, First Dates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 09:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18635704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supersapphics/pseuds/supersapphics
Summary: Helen and Aline go on their first date and sparks instantly fly.





	Milady

**Author's Note:**

> Dedicated to Mara, who asked for a fic where Heline go on their first date or start to realize their feelings for each other.
> 
> There's a brief discussion of internalized homophobia and external homophobia (from parents), so please be careful when reading if that's something triggering for you. The conversation starts at "'So what was it like growing up with a Consul for a mom?' Helen asks" and ends at "'That’s good,” Helen says.'"
> 
> Also, I read the books years ago but I can't remember them at all, so apologies if I messed up Helen's backstory lol.

"Hey,“ Helen says. She sounds a bit out of breath. “There you are. I was looking for you.”

Aline looks up from the sword she’d been sharpening. “Hey. Why were you looking for me?”

“I…” Helen clears her throat. “I have something to ask you.”

“Ok.” Aline sets down the sword. “Shoot.”

“Are you hungry?” Helen blurts out.

Aline blinks. “Am I….sure? I mean, yeah, I am. Do you know what they’re serving in the cafeteria?”

“Not in the cafeteria. I was thinking, we could go to a restaurant.”

Aline blinks again. “Are you asking me out?”

Helen coughs. “Yes?”

Aline can feel a smile spreading across her face. “I’ve been waiting for you to ask me out.”

Helen’s eyes widen. “You have? You knew I was planning to?”

“I was hoping,” Aline amends. “But I was too nervous to make the first move.”

“So you just let me make it,” Helen says, her lips twitching.

Aline ducks her head to hide her grin. “I’m sorry. I’m just new at this kind of stuff.”

“Girls?” Helen asks.

“I mean….not entirely. Just being public about it. It wasn’t always an option for me.” Aline looks up when Helen’s hand covers hers.

“We don’t have to go to a restaurant if you don’t want to. We can go to the cafeteria.”

“No! I’d love to go to a restaurant with you. Did you have anything in mind?”

“Well.” Now it’s Helen’s turn to duck her head. She looks back up at Aline with a shy little smile that makes Aline’s heart race. “I heard about this great Italian restaurant a few blocks from here. It’s supposed to be really good. And…according to the reviews I read, it’s great for first dates.”

“That sounds good,” Aline says, smiling. “Do you want to go now?”

“I do.” Helen holds out her hand. “Milady?”

Aline can’t help herself; she giggles. “Milady?”

“It’s cute,” Helen says, grinning herself.

“It is.” Aline slips her hand inside Helen’s. “Lead the way, milady.”

 

 

“So how long have you been wanting to ask me out?” Aline asks as they look over the menus. She can’t help but inject a bit of a teasing note into her voice.

“Since the first time we met,” Helen admits. “When I told you that I didn’t help destroy the Heavenly Fire Project just because I was half-Seelie. You told me, ‘I didn’t say you did’, and that just really took me aback, but in a good way, because…you weren’t judging me based on your first impression. Which is what most people tend to do with me.”

“And with me,” Aline answers. “Which is why I didn’t want to do it to you, because I know what it’s like.”

“Well, I appreciated it. And so I kept paying attention to you, and everything about you just convinced me that you were someone worth getting to know better.”

“I thought the same thing about you,” Aline says, smiling. “I’m really glad Alec accepted both of our applications to work at the New York Institute.”

“Alec is great,” Helen agrees. “You’ve known him a long time, right?”

“Yeah, since we were kids. I’m really glad to see that things have worked out for him so well. He was just like me when we were younger.”

“I struggled too when I was younger, but probably not as much as you and Alec, because my parents weren’t as high profile as yours and Alec’s, so I wasn’t in the spotlight as much,” Helen says. “I hope things are better for you now too.”

“They are,” Aline says, smiling at Helen. She hopes Helen understands the implication that things have gotten way better ever since Helen asked her out on a date in public. Based on the way Helen beams at her, she did.

“Good evening ladies, are you ready to order?” the waitress asks as she appears beside their table.

“Yes, I think we are,” Helen says, glancing at Aline for confirmation. Once Aline nods, they both order their food.

“I probably should’ve ordered something different,” Aline muses aloud as the waitress walks away.

“What do you mean?”

“Spaghetti and garlic bread,” Aline explains. “Garlic bread is going to make my breath unpleasant.”

“And you’re worried I won’t want to kiss you?” Helen asks, raising her eyebrows. “Because don’t worry, I will.”

“Do you have like, a garlic breath kink?” Aline asks with a laugh.

“Nope. I just really want to kiss you, no matter what,” Helen says simply. Aline stops laughing and starts blushing.

Their food arrives and they begin eating. “So what was it like growing up with a Consul for a mom?” Helen asks.

“Well.” Aline twirls some spaghetti around her fork. “Difficult. I was always the center of attention with my classmates, which made me feel like I couldn’t be myself. And my mom didn’t always have time for me. I was terrified of coming out to her, but she surprised me.  I don’t know if seeing that Alec was gay and still a good Institute Head is what made her so open-minded or if it was something else, but…she didn’t entirely flip out when I came out to her.  I mean, she wasn’t over the moon about it, but she wasn’t mad either. Which I guess is a win.”

“You don’t think she’s going to be upset that you’re dating girls in public now?”

Aline thinks for a moment. “No,” she says finally. “I think she’ll be happy for me. Not at first, maybe, but I think once she sees how happy I am, that’ll convince her.”

“That’s good,” Helen says. “My childhood wasn’t always easy either. My parents were always supportive of me, but it was strange being half Shadowhunter and half Seelie. Most Shadowhunters massively distrust Seelies, so I didn’t always have a lot of friends.”

“Growing up in the Shadowhunter culture is hardly ever easy,” Aline sighs.

“But we made it through,” Helen points out. She holds out her hand across the table and Aline takes it, smiling.

“We made it through.”

They talk more while they eat, discussing everything they can think of. Aline barely realizes how much time is passing because she’s having such a good time. It’s not until Aline looks up and sees the waitress approaching their table that she thinks to check her watch, and she’s stunned when she realizes three hours have already passed.

“Hi ladies, how are we doing? Would you two like to see a dessert menu?”

Helen glances over at Aline, raising her eyebrows questioningly.

“Yes please,” Aline says. “We’re not quite ready to leave yet.” This time it's Helen who ducks her head, smiling.

For dessert, Helen orders chocolate cake and Aline chooses cherry pie. When Helen takes the first bite of her cake, she immediately closes her eyes and says, “Ohhh my gosh.”

“Good?” Aline asks, amused.

“Fantastic,” Helen corrects, opening her eyes. “You have to try this.”

Aline grabs her fork, intending to reach over and grab a piece, but Helen holds out her own fork to give Aline a taste. Aline licks the bite off the fork and feels her own eyes flutter shut. “Oh my god.”

“Right? I picked a good dessert.” Helen winks at Aline. “And a great date.”

“Ditto,” Aline says softly. They beam at each other for a moment before finishing their desserts.

Once the waitress returns, there’s a brief awkward moment where they try to figure out how to pay the check before deciding they’ll each pay for their own food. When they step outside together, holding hands, it’s dark outside. There’s a bit of a bite in the air and out of the corner of her eye, Aline notices Helen pull her jacket more tightly around her shoulders, shivering.

“Here, milady,” Aline offers, wrapping an arm around Helen’s shoulders and tugging her closer.

Helen smiles up at her. “Thank you, milady.”

“I had a great time tonight,” Aline says as they slowly begin walking back toward the Institute. “I’m really glad you asked me out.”

“So am I. I’m already looking forward to our next date in public. And maybe a date not in public.”

“I’d love that,” Aline says, and stops walking so she can pull Helen in for their first kiss.


End file.
